“You’re going away again?!”
“How do you afford it?”
“I’m so jealous of how many holidays you go on”
“How did you get a flight for £10?!”
These are often the first things I hear when I tell someone I’ve booked another trip. If I had a pound for every time I had heard any of these things I wouldn’t have to focus so much on budget travelling. In 2019 I was able to visit 14 countries, including 10 completely new countries, all while teaching full time. How did I afford it I hear you ask? Skyscanner, Hostelworld and Airbnb.
I very rarely book package holidays. If you want to keep the costs down it is often (but not always) much cheaper to book everything separately. People often think this is a hassle but I am here to talk you through how to do it, and how to find the best deals. Saying that, it is always good to compare the price difference between booking separately and as a package. I have in the past managed to secure a week in Zante, Greece in June for as little as £200 including flight, accommodation, luggage and transfers (we did have to pay an extra €300 for smashing a shower screen but that’s a story for another time). How did I get a deal this cheap? By being flexible and avoiding popular destinations during the summer holidays. All I will say is if you are wanting to stay in a specific hotel or go all inclusive then a package deal is likely going to be your best bet. But hey, it doesn’t hurt to compare different options as you never know what deals you are going to find!
Flights
I spend hours and hours researching flights on Skyscanner. Not because it takes that long to find what you’re looking for, but because I use it to get inspiration for future destinations. The one thing I tell people if they want to find cheap flights is ‘be flexible’. Have an idea about WHEN you want to visit a place but don’t limit yourself to specific dates. Skyscanner has two functions that I absolutely love:
1. When choosing your travel dates, Skyscanner has the option to choose either ‘Specific dates’ or ‘Whole month’. This ‘Whole month’ button is my absolute favourite. It allows you to browse the cheapest days to fly, often saving you a substantial amount of money. By being flexible, even just by a few days you could save yourself hundreds. I have even managed to get £20 return flights from Manchester to Copenhagen before by being flexible with dates, and this was in the school holidays! Even so, when looking to book a trip it is a good idea to take note of when school holidays are as these do tend to be more expensive (so I have come to discover in my new career). This button also gives you the option to search the ‘Cheapest month’ which lets you know when the cheapest time of year to travel is.
If you are wanting to get a good deal it is a great idea to travel outside of ‘high season’. If you are still looking for great weather in a place it is often a good idea to research what months are the ‘shoulder seasons’. This is my favourite time to travel! It is much cheaper than high season, much less crowded and the best accommodation and trips are not fully booked. If you are also looking at actually SEEING the place you are visiting and not just lying on the beach or round a pool then the shoulder seasons usually have the perfect weather for sightseeing and activities without leaving you dripping in sweat. (Important if you’re wanting to document your travels on social media without looking like a sweaty mess).
2. Skyscanner also has the option to set your destination to ‘Everywhere’ meaning that Skyscanner sorts through every flight departing from your chosen departure airport/ country and finds the cheapest. This button has led me to explore places I would never have even considered visiting such as Romania, Montenegro and Latvia. Some of which have become my favourite destinations. I’m not saying jump in and book the first destination because it is the cheapest but research. See what there is to do in a place and it might inspire you. Often, at different times of year, these options change slightly with the coming and going of high seasons in different countries.
When booking flights in the past I have also always been flexible with my departure airport. I often just search my departure airport at ‘United Kingdom’ meaning it shows me the cheapest place to fly from. National Express do some great deals directly to airports from major cities, while Megabus also give you great deals to other cities to which you can then switch to a local bus/ tram/ train to the airport. Although this may add time onto your journey, it is worth pricing up the difference if you’re travelling on a budget as this has saved me hundreds in the past. Why not use this extra time to research cool things to do in your new destination or learn a few words in the local language that might be useful to help you get by. Knowing a few words in the local language can also lead to more successful bargaining on the prices of things on markets and tours etc. one you’re there.
This also works the other way, research flying into nearby airports to your final destination. If you have extra time on your hands, why not fly into neighbouring country and travel through rather than just flying over. I know this sounds daunting but countries in Europe are smaller than you think. For example, I flew into Bratislava then took a 1hr bus to Vienna which cost €5. If you are doing a city break, it is also worth researching whether it is viable to factor in a day trip to another city/country in Europe as it might be easier and quicker to reach than you think.
Luggage
One thing I must mention when booking flights separately, especially on budget airlines, is that hold luggage is generally not included. It is also worth checking the amount of hand luggage you can take as budget airlines such as Ryanair have recently changed their hand luggage limits. If you want to add hold luggage then it is worth checking how much it is going to cost you. It is worth adding that the cost of adding luggage changes with the seasons, similar to the price. While it might only cost you £15 to add a suitcase in winter, it may cost you £30 in summer months, so bear this in mind.
HOWEVER, do you really need that suitcase? How many times have you gone on holiday and come back with things you haven’t even worn? I know I have. I travelled around Croatia for 3 weeks with only hand luggage and I STILL came back with things I hadn’t worn. Have a think about the essentials that you need. Can you live without taking that extra pair of shoes? If so, it could save you up to around £60 in luggage. You can squeeze more into hand luggage than you might think and many hostels and hotels offer laundry services if you do run out of clothes.
If you’re planning on staying in a destination long term and you are taking lots of luggage then sendmybag.com is another option. In short, this is a service where someone picks up your bag, it gets shipped to your destination and it is delivered to you at the other side. I used this when moving abroad rather than having to travel with multiple bags. It was also cheaper than paying for extra luggage on the airline. All I would say is that as I wasn’t staying in a major city, it took a little while longer than originally stated to be delivered at the other side. So I would advise making sure you have enough stuff to put you on until your bag arrives (including your phone charger!).
Accomodation
Now I know it’s not for everyone but my go-to website/app when booking accommodation is Hostelworld. Now before you dismiss staying in a hostel, some of my best travelling memories have come from staying in hostels. Hostels aren’t just for backpackers either, there are many options within hostels. Obviously the cheapest is usually a shared dormitory which usually decreases in price the more beds are in the room. Most hostels also have the option of private rooms if you are wanting a bit of privacy or if you are travelling with a loved one etc. Hostels are amazing if you are solo travelling or even travelling with friends/as a couple. You meet like-minded easy-going fun people and you’ll also get tips from staff and guests on what to do in a place or even future destinations to visit. In many situations, the staff have also helped me book further onward travel. This was very handy in South East Asia when it was a little more difficult to communicate with people.
Now if you are feeling a little more luxurious and want your own space then I recommend looking on Airbnb. Again, you have the option to browse private rooms in people’s houses or ‘entire place’ meaning you get the whole place to yourself. You can also read reviews of people who have stayed there before. However, I do always compare prices of hotels using Booking.com as this sometimes works out cheaper.
Both Hostelworld and Airbnb options generally have access to a kitchen which are great if you are trying to keep costs down and are willing to cook. Even if it’s just hot water for a pot noodle for lunch, it all adds up.
If you are really wanting to keep costs low and get a truly authentic experience of a place then Couchsurfing is another option. Couchsurfing is a website that allows locals to let out their couch, spare room or whatever space they have in their house for free. Why do they let you stay for free? Usually these are people who have done something similar and are wanting to give something back to the travelling community or they just love hearing about others travel stories and cultures. HOWEVER, please only use this option if you are genuinely interested in interacting and giving something back to the host. Be it in cooking a meal for them, sharing stories and experiences with them or even hosting yourself when you’re back home. Staying in some random person’s house will seem daunting for a lot of people but the site does has reviews from other people who have stayed there and from people who have hosted them. I see it like Airbnb, staying in someone else’s house but with company and an authentic experience of a place. I am yet to use Couchsurfing myself but I am very intrigued by the idea and I hope to use it in the near future.
Due to Coronavirus Couchsurfing is now charging an annual fee of £14.29 to help keep the website going during these hard times. That’s still going to be cheaper than just one night in a hotel (or even a hostel in some countries).
Transfers
Getting from the airport to my accommodation is usually the last thing on my mind. There has even been times I’ve landed at an airport with no idea how I’m going to get there. I tend to avoid taxis as they are overpriced, especially when they are waiting at airports. However, it is always good to research local taxi apps beforehand such as ‘Uber’, ‘Grab’, ‘Cabify’ as you can get an idea of the price beforehand and it’s generally much cheaper.
However, if you are solo or even a couple, the cheapest option is going to be public transport. Buses are generally the cheapest options and costs very little compared to taxis. Yes, they take longer but if you are landing in the morning and are in no rush then you are usually just killing time until check-in so why not save a bit of money in the process. I should also point out that it is a good idea to also not just jump on the first bus that says ‘Airport bus’ as if you do your research then there may be a cheaper local bus that goes the same way. They don’t always take that much longer either.